


The Track of a Lost Runner [Comic]

by DigestedHuman



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Abuse, Basically Peter is captured and modified against his will, Blood, Comic, Constipated dadneto, Everyone is a mess because I am a mess, Experimentation, Gen, Inhumane themes, Manipulation, PTSD, Peter is hurt for being Magneto's son, Plot is somewhat a disaster but I pushed through, Self Harm, Suicide, Very Poor Peter, alternative universe, bad handwriting but it will get better, brain wash, dadneto, explicit images of violence, fan comic, modification
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:27:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25017757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DigestedHuman/pseuds/DigestedHuman
Summary: Peter decides to go back to his normal life of sulking in his mother's basement after his Track and Field career turned to shreds for being a mutant. It falls apart further when Stryker is thrilled to get his hands on Magneto's son and decides to use Peter as a weapon against mutants. An AU set after X men - Days of Future Past.*This is a fancomic: the tags apply mostly for images so please be wary.
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr & Peter Maximoff, Erik Lehnsherr & Pietro Maximoff, Peter Maximoff & William Stryker
Comments: 99
Kudos: 228





	1. Introduction

By reading amazing dadneto stories and seeing great art works posted on this site, I was motivated to post my own fancomic I drew several years ago. Initially I didn't intend to show this to anyone forever because I was very shy, but it's taken too much space off my computer drive and my brain for years so I've decided to just vent it when I have the chance. Personally it's a very nervous choice but the world's on fire so I figured there's nothing to lose.

Way before writing my first fanfic, for a long time I had an idea of a story where Stryker aggravates the relationship between Erik and Peter. However, not being a proficient wordsmith, I resided to drawing which resulted in difficulties of sharing the work. Anyways.. I did finish the story and I'm proud as a fan. I've been inspired by many stories on this site and it might show, though I made a conscious effort to weave my own plot featuring a painful dadneto drama. Still I am sincerely thankful for all the better creators out here.

Reading it again I find many flaws and room for improvement, but I'd rather move on and work on something new than fix this comic for eternity. Since I wasn't any better in English back then, many mistakes are found but I hope they won't hinder the story line. This comic consists of 10 chapters - approximately 140 pages in total, and I'll try to post at least once a week unless anything happens to me. They'll all be comic panel images with no words aside from notes, size suitable for viewing on desktops (because the text is illegible when it's in mobile size). In any case please don't post the images anywhere else.

I absolutely love exploring Erik & Peter's relationship regardless of media. Despite this project being a small stepping stone for me to plan more new content, if it satiates your thirst for dadneto please let me know, I would be infinitely grateful. For those of you who are interested and decide to stick around, it might be bumpy road but please enjoy :)


	2. I - 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Peter is captured, Charles is clueless, my handwriting is horrible, and Stryker is a diabolical asshole.  
> I'll try to note specific trigger warnings prior to every chapter. Posting my past fan fantasy does lift some weight off my chest :D


	3. I - 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning* Graphic depictions of suicide, blood, violence, experimentation & forced feeding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tragically abandoned by everyone, Peter is going through hell... And I'm here for it :0
> 
> I thought that even though Peter was a delinquent, he did have relatively high moral standards regarding how he has a knack for rescuing people and doesn't use his potentially dangerous power to harm others in the movies. Here he couldn't stand the idea of living as a weapon of persecution for someone else's objective.
> 
> Plus, I had to censor part of the graphic suicide part- I might do this again in the future if it's too much.
> 
> Thank you for all the kind comments and kudos! Definitely gives me strength :D


	4. II - 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pardon my laziness, I just really wanted to get away from my homework. Yay for a 4 year time skip and a hollow eyed Peter 😊
> 
> I judged Raven was apt to be the one breaking into highly secured facilities to figure out what’s going on against mutants. Apparently Peter wasn’t able to find Magneto during all the missions and experiments, so here he held on to the only chance he had. Anyways my wild dadneto fantasy is unfolding and I’m flourishing.


	5. II - 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning* Graphic depictions of blood, violence, self harm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it’s revealed how Peter’s been doing for 4 years: it doesn’t look great with all the abuse and gaslighting ☹. Plus Stryker evolved into an aspirational asshole. All the generic extra characters are assholes too.
> 
> I wanted to see Stryker use Peter as his own effective tool – and in Peter’s situation, Stryker being the only one who simultaneously violates and questionably, helps him. Also Stryker has some of his own problems with his son Jason, who with his newly manifested mutant abilities led his mother to her death (from X men original movies). Anyways, next time I’ll explore Raven’s part of the story.


	6. III - 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Peter, he finally found his father but got overwhelmed and fainted :( Plus the obligatory portrayal of an old and sticky friendship... Not too helpful though, Charles. I have the impression that he holds back every time, even when the situation demands it. I mean, with a power like that he could easily make anything happen yet sometimes he’s just too used to being a human.
> 
> I always mourn the potential of Nina whenever I watch X-men: Apocalypse. Throughout the overly short screen time I could see that she loves her family very much, and I've always imagined what it would be like for her to be alive and well- following her parents to the school, meeting her half brother and such. Like Nina carrying squirrels in her pocket, I used to carry wood lice when I was very young. I wish I could have befriended wood lice so I envy Nina for her powers.
> 
> Also side note: from this chapter whenever there weren’t much Peter to draw, my mood was on the verge of giving up. Now that I look back, even if the drawings kind of slumped it’s a good thing I just went on. :D


	7. III - 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning* Violence, torture & blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Losing every chance of freedom, Peter is falling with no end :0... He impulsively chose to save Erik's new family while painfully suppressing his mixed feelings towards his father. I believed that Peter would have hidden at least one feasible escape plan during his years of captivity but refrained from acting on it before securing his family's safety.
> 
> This part was particularly experimental and tricky to draw - I really wanted to incorporate music into the comic since that’s Peter's trademark, though I'm not entirely sure how it turned out. As many would have already recognized, the lyrics I used here is from Pink Floyd's 'Wish you were here'. Also I really wanted to add a scene where Peter confronts the sentinel prototypes built upon his powers, which startles him tremendously.
> 
> I'm trying my best to update every Friday - Hopefully I'll reach the end in a month. :)


	8. IV - 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning* Explicit depiction of violence, blood, torture, implication of sexual abuse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pardon the lack of quality in this chapter- to be honest, this was my least favorite one to draw. Along with the lack of Peter and a hail of OCs, while I was working on this part my overall drawing skills sharply dropped as if my motor skills decided to rebel against me. So I felt like crap. It’s a relief that it did get better gradually.
> 
> Also, I’m really, really not used to creating OCs… I personally hate adding my own characters in a fanart, but I concluded that I’m not knowledgeable enough of the X-men universe to be able to use a pre-existing character (except Toad, I guess). I thought it would be interesting to add Magneto’s followers who were left in the dirt, initially empowered by Erik's speech but remained unseen and persecuted- because really, Erik just took a big shit and left without a trace. Here, the strong spirit to fight for his kind is still intact so Erik decides to fight alongside his fellow mutants. Honestly the names and other characteristics of the OCs were chosen randomly without deep deliberation, but what's important is that they have a lot of hostility stacked towards Peter.
> 
> The plot is finally ready to burst 😊. Hold on Peter... As the climax & the end, the last 3 chapters are my favorite and they’ll be a bit longer.


	9. IV - 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning* Violence, blood, brainwash, death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally... the dadneto reveal! >:D Not a great time though, having a bomb planted and all...
> 
> Some explanation: referring to the X-men Apocalypse movie, I equipped Stryker's side with some telepathy evasion technology and a stun gun. In Peter's case, his modified goggle band served as a telepathy repel. Also, I wanted Jason to plant his unadulterated rage and hatred towards his father in Peter while tapping into his mind. They do share that emotion, after all.
> 
> Drawing this part, I spent a large amount of time comparing the relationship of Stryker & Peter to that of Shaw & Erik. The conclusion I’ve reached - given their distinctive situations and personality - was that Peter's rage would have mainly pointed himself unlike Erik whose rage directed the outer world. While Erik decided to avenge the man who killed his mother and gave him hell, Peter, not being able to handle the guilt of what he's done and the pain inflicted on his family, all the while fearing the hostility spewed from everyone, would have decided to end himself along with his abuser.
> 
> You might have noticed but I also set Stryker and Peter's relationship as that of an abusive father & son. Their issues escalated together and created an absolute toxic disaster, pushing each other and filling each of their own desire - control & acknowledgement. And Erik didn't gain non-metal powers, he just grew stronger and used the Earth's magnetic field. I just wanted to make it clear. Anyways, the end is near :)


	10. V - 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning* Depiction of self harm, blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Erik really needs to go back to the basics of parenting 101...
> 
> To cut him some slack, his confusion and frustration is tremendous because his beliefs aren't compatible with the existence and actions of Peter. With an inconsistent stance he is rejected by his followers, because Peter is the public enemy to them - a tragic fact. But even if it shocks Erik and forces him to betray his own faith constructed throughout his life, I still believed that children often require parents to change and become someone they need.
> 
> Also I love depicting Charles and Erik as a mere mortal instead of a charismatic and overpowered leader, showing flaws and being pushed to the background to support others >:). Charles convinced Peter to get treatment, promising him to give his mom's address that Peter alone couldn't find (In the movie he couldn't find Erik for 10 years, so I found it plausible), but it wasn't enough to help Peter escape from his guilt and self loathing.
> 
> Next week comes the last chapter! It'll be a bit harsh and stressful: I'll put the warnings at the beginning as always. I honestly didn't believe I'd come this far, posting this on the internet and all, but knowing that people read and enjoy this work gives me so much strength. Thank you all :)


	11. V - 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning* Self harm, violence, implications of sexual abuse, graphic depictions of trauma, PTSD, eating disorder, bondage
> 
> -There're explicit images of post- sexual abuse/rape trauma on the first 4 pages: If you have a trigger I recommend you to please skip these parts.
> 
> -Images of eating disorder is on the fifth page: please skip too if it's triggering.
> 
> -Also an early apology to all Polish speakers: google translator took me only this far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knew I needed to make this chapter take care of Peter's repressed emotions & trauma. I assumed while staying in school, he couldn't control himself with all the overwhelming nightmares & had himself tied to something sturdy.
> 
> Feeling like he's out of place everywhere as he constantly questioned his worth & desperately tried to justify his stay, he managed to rediscover what was forgotten about himself with the help of Charles's counselling but was constantly reminded the cold fact that he can never go back to what he was.
> 
> Erik kept his distance with his son because although he's decided to take him under his wing, he didn't know how to face him with his own mixed emotions so he kept teetering between the extreme ends of caring and apathy. The contradictory behaviors his father displayed to Peter amplified his anxiety and self-depreciation, and it finally got the best of him.
> 
> Slipping into insanity, provoking Erik with an appearance that's a bad parody of him (which is also an image Peter himself is trapped in), Peter forced Erik to encounter what he has become but couldn't face it himself and broke down in front of the mirror – where his highest and lowest point met. Eventually Erik understands how bad Peter has been suffering and accepts him as a father, calling him by the name his child's more comfortable with. Nothing will be the same as before and so much is lost- especially for Peter, but I wanted them to remind each other that it's okay as it is & promise to face their future together with hope.
> 
> So this is where I ended this story. It was the longest project I've done and I'm glad I can finally let this go. The support I've got from this was completely unexpected and very delightful- also, the comments were the most heartwarming thing that's ever happened to me in a long time. I can literally cry a river and swim in it.
> 
> Next week I'll post some illustrations & sketches I've made for this story and finish this work. Thank you for enjoying my comic! :D


	12. Sketches & Illustrations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning* Depiction of experimentation, death, blood, scars.
> 
> -Used photo references for some drawings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I need some time to recharge before I start another work… You can find me at [my tumblr](https://digested-human.tumblr.com/). Thank you! 😊
> 
> *(2021-01-09) There has been an error with the image hosting so I tried to fix it. If there's an error again, please let me know!


End file.
